


Extending the Family

by BabyBottlePop



Series: Day by Day, Night by Night [6]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Age Play, Asthma, Baby Louis, Baby Niall, Daddy Harry, Diapers, Family Fluff, Infantilism, M/M, Mild Feminization, Non-Sexual Age Play, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 17:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8762809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BabyBottlePop/pseuds/BabyBottlePop
Summary: Harry has never had any trouble raising two littles by himself. Despite this, his mother still worries, which is why she tries to play matchmaker. It goes better than expected, and now Harry has to make the choice of whether introducing another male caregiver into Niall and Louis' lives is a good idea or not.





	

Harry was usually quite good with handling stress, but this evening was really testing his talent of staying calm and poised. Not only did he have two hysterical babies on his hands, but it was nearing eight and he had yet to get them bathed and into bed, or get a shower himself. This was really troublesome, considering he had a date at nine.

 

In fact, the date part was stressful enough by himself. That was just it, Harry didn’t date. He was too busy being a daddy to get caught up in the drama of a relationship. Besides, he wasn’t the type of irresponsible caregiver who brought strange men into his babies’ lives.

 

Truly he was just doing this to put his mother at ease. “One date Harry, please. Then I won’t ever bother you about it again.” Those were the words she had pleaded to him a week ago. Since Harry knew his mother would keep her word, he called the number she had given to him to set up a date. Once it was over with, he would never have to worry again.

 

“Don’t go, Daddy!” Niall was pleading through tears, Louis bawling alongside him. “You can’t!”

 

Harry wanted to pull his hair out. He felt stupid for even mentioning that he was going out tonight. After all, it would be when the babies were sleeping (or supposed to be) so it shouldn’t have been such a big deal. It was a dumb mistake on his part.

 

“Niall, Lou...Listen to me, Loves.” Harry removed Niall’s hold on his shirt. “I’m not going to be gone long, and it will be while you’re sleeping. Besides, Liam is going to be here. You love Liam, don’t you?”

 

“Love you more,” Louis whimpered, and both of the babies reattached themselves to their Daddy.

 

Harry looked at the clock and bit his lip. “Look Darlings, it’s time for bed. How about we even skip baths tonight?”

 

Louis brightened a little at this bribe, but Niall wasn’t phased. “Don’t go, don’t go, _don’t_ _go_!”

 

Harry bit his lip. Just as he was going to pick up the phone and cancel the date, his door opened.

 

“Thought you might need me a little earlier so you can get ready,” Liam said, striding inside.

 

“Liam, I honestly don’t know what I’d do without you.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So are you a caregiver, or just a regular…?” Harry couldn’t help questioning pretty early into the date once they had ordered their meals and settled into waiting.

 

“I work at a private family clinic in London,” Nick explained. “I’m also a classified caregiver, but I held off on adoption in order to get through medical school.”

 

“Wow,” Harry managed to say, feeling actually quite impressed. “But do you...are you still planning to adopt one day?”

 

“I’ve definitely thought about it,” Nick replied. “I’ve only just switched clinics though, and I want to get comfortable with my job before I do anything serious. I also want a partner.”

 

Harry nodded and took a sip of his wine. “Do you enjoy your job?”

 

Nick couldn’t resist a snort. “Of course, I didn’t stay in uni for ten years so that I would be stuck with a job that I hated. I also specialize in pediatrics and classified babies, so being born a caregiver helps.”

 

Harry had to admit that his mom had obviously looked into his date’s background pretty thoroughly. She had been right; so far Nick seemed like nothing but a charming, intelligent, good looking single guy.

 

Soon the waiter arrived with their food (steak tips with caesar salad for Harry, and filet mignon with a fully loaded garden salad for Nick). Harry checked his phone one last time to make sure Liam had not texted. When he looked up, he blushed when he saw Nick watching him with a lazy grin.

 

“I feel like I’ve been doing most of the talking,” Nick finally confessed. “Your mum said you have two babies?”

 

Harry hadn’t really planned on talking much about his boys, but he felt more comfortable with Nick than he’d planned on being. “Yeah, that’s right. I adopted Niall two years ago, and Louis just a year ago. They’re...well, they’re perfect.”

 

Nick grinned. “It sounds like you really love them a lot.”

 

“Oh I do,” Harry said eagerly. “Everyone does, once they meet them. They’re so well behaved, with exceptions of course.”

 

They spent most of the main course discussing Niall and Louis, two of Harry’s favorite subjects. Nick seemed to enjoy listening to him talking about them. He laughed loudly at the story of when Niall stole eggs from the fridge and kept them under his blankets (unknowingly to Harry) in hopes that they would hatch.

 

“To be honest I wasn’t looking forward to this date,” Harry eventually confessed. “I’m not really looking for a relationship. My mum worries though. She thinks I can’t handle being a single caregiver to two babies, and that I’m lonely.”

 

Harry looked down at the floor, feeling his face heat up again. Nick was looking at him with a thoughtful expression.

 

“Do you think you’re handling it okay?” He finally asked. “And _are_ you lonely?”

 

“I’m handling it,” Harry answered quietly. “Better than most at least. I don’t think I’m very lonely either...my babies keep my life plenty busy.”

 

“I can tell that you’re handling it just fine,” Nick sat back in his seat. “I already know about your mother’s concerns. That’s not the reason I agreed to the date though.”

 

Harry was a little caught off guard. “But then why?”

 

“Well, I thought you seemed really sweet from the way she talked about you. The picture she showed of you and your babies made it obvious how down to earth and kind hearted you are, not to mention your gorgeous curls and dimples.”

 

That was flattering to say the least, but rather flustered, Harry drew the attention back to his babies.

 

“I can’t take all the credit. Niall and Louis really are great, I promise I’m not being biased because I’m their Daddy. The only thing that truly scares me anymore is Lou’s asthma, but I’ve been handling it a lot better than I used to.”

 

That turned the direction of the conversation discussing Louis’ condition. Nick listened intently, and being a doctor, had some great reassurance for Harry.

 

“It sounds like you’re doing everything in your power to handle it,” He said. “Asthma, especially in babies, is absolutely terrifying. But you’re following his treatment plan well, and you’re experienced with episodes. There’s nothing to worry about.”

 

Nick had even suggested that Harry give a name to Louis’ nebulizer and let him decorate it with googly eyes and stickers to make him warm up to it more, an idea that Harry absolutely loved.

 

They each ordered a small sundae for dessert. When it came time to pay, Nick snagged the bill before Harry could reach for it.

 

“We can split the cost,” Harry offered, a little embarrassed. Nick may have had a fancy doctor salary, but Harry had plenty of money himself.

 

“Nonsense, I’m the one who chose the pricey restaurant,” Nick argued. “I’m a single doctor with more than enough money, so please let me treat you...no pun intended.”

 

Harry was a sucker for puns, intended or not, so he allowed Nick to pay for his meal.

 

When they reached Harry’s home, Nick parked the car in the driveway and turned off the radio. “Listen Mr. Harry Styles, I _really_ enjoyed this date.”

 

“I did too,” Harry responded, feeling a tad bit cautious. He wasn’t exactly sure what he wanted, and was caught between what to feel.

 

“I’d really like to take you out again. I know you don’t feel ready for a relationship, but I want you to at least consider.” Nick said, voice soft. “I’ll give you a few days to think it over, but I’d love to have dinner again next Friday. I’ll text in a few days and you can give me your answer then, alright?”

 

It was truly impossible for Harry to not agree to at least think about it. He hadn’t expected much going into this date, but Nick was almost too perfect to be true. But he was also very conscious of the fact that Niall and Louis might not have the same viewpoint as him, and they would forever come first.

 

“Alright,” He said, and Nick reached over to squeeze his hand.

 

They didn’t kiss, even though deep down Harry probably wouldn’t have minded. Nick waited until Harry got to his front door before waving and driving away. Harry stood there on the front steps for a moment, with nothing but the grasshoppers, leaf rustles, and his thoughts. Finally he went inside.

 

Most of the lights were off, and the house was quiet, which was a good sign seeing as it was nearing midnight. The light of the television was coming from the living room, so that’s where Harry headed.

 

He came to the sight of Liam sitting on the couch and Niall fast asleep with his head in Liam’s lap.

 

Liam caught sight of him and grinned. “Hey!” He whispered. “How was it?”

 

“It was...nice,” Harry said quietly, giving a genuine smile. “Better than I expected.”

 

“That’s great!” Liam said a little too loudly, quickly having to sooth Niall when he shifted. “It went pretty well here. Niall woke up about an hour ago and wanted you, so I let him stay out here and fall back asleep.”

 

“That’s fine,” Harry smiled at his sleeping baby. “And Lou?”

 

“He’s been sleeping like an angel,” Liam assured him. “I haven’t heard anything concerning over the monitor, not even much coughing.”

 

“Oh good,” Harry was instantly relieved. “Thanks so much for watching them Lee.”

 

“You know I don’t mind,” Liam said. “Besides, you can return the favor when I adopt a baby of my own.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Harry grew excited. “Open house at the center is next week! I’m so excited for you Lee, you’re going to be such a great daddy!”

 

Unfortunately Harry forgot to be quiet, and Niall’s eyes blinked open as he whined. Before he could cry at being awoken, he saw Harry and his face brightened.

 

“Daddy!” Niall sprung from the couch and into Harry’s arms, moving remarkably fast for a baby who had just been asleep.

 

“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Liam said fondly, stifling a yawn.

 

“Thanks again Lee,” Harry said, lifting Niall into his arms. “You can always crash here if you want, you know that.”

 

“I’ll pass this time, your couch kills my back.”

 

Once Liam left, Harry turned his attention to Niall. “Let’s get you back to your crib, yeah? Daddy’s home now, so you can sleep in the nursery.”

 

Niall didn’t protest, falling back into his tired state as they headed upstairs. Harry brought him to his crib and helped him get settled.

 

“Daddy, where’d you go?” Niall asked, his words slurred with exhaustion.

 

“Out with a friend,” Harry told him, voice hushed as to not wake his other sleeping baby. “I told you that earlier, remember?”

 

“But Lee-Lee is your friend.”

 

“This is a new friend,” Harry whispered, kissing his temple. “Now go to sleep Baby, okay?”

 

Niall didn’t have to be told twice, eyes finally closing. Harry walked over to check on Louis before he left. The sleeping baby looked just fine. His breathing was pretty good; Harry couldn’t hear any raspiness or wheezing. He felt comfortable enough to go to bed himself now.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“So, diaper rash….should I be taking Zayn to the doctor for that?”

 

“Huh?” The word doctor dragged Harry away from his thoughts of Nick Grimshaw, who always seemed to be on his mind nowadays. “Oh, no I don’t think you need to unless it’s serious. Just use a lot of diaper rash cream and change him frequently.”

 

“Right,” Liam bit his lip. “How do I know if it’s serious though?”

 

“Well, has he been playing at all today?”

 

“Yeah I guess,” Liam nodded. “About the same amount as usual, which really isn’t much at all.”

 

Zayn was still a very new addition to Liam’s life. To be honest Harry had been a little worried at first, because he’d been expecting Liam to bring home a baby who was...a little less complicated. Zayn hadn’t been brought to the Adoption Center until he was nineteen, because his parents refused to accept his role as a little. Naturally the care workers intervened, but they had been a little late. It would take a lot of work on Liam’s part to help Zayn heal.

 

“Don’t worry so much Lee, you’ve barely had him for a week. These sorts of things take time.”

 

“I know that,” Liam said. “You didn’t exactly have a lot of trouble with Ni and Lou though, right?”

 

“Niall and Louis both had supportive families who made their transition to the Adoption Center more easy,” Harry reminded him. “They both understood that being Little is normal for them. Zayn didn’t learn the way they did. Give him time, yeah?”

 

Many caregivers chose to stay out of contact with their little’s biological family. This was more often than not decided with their little’s emotional wellbeing in mind. Seeing their biological mother or father could cause confusion, and sometimes littles didn’t understand the difference between their caregiver parent and their biological parent.

 

Harry though, was not a complete jerk. He sent updates to both of his babies’ families. He took photos and sent them by email to Louis’ mother, who was beyond thankful knowing that her eldest son was in good hands. After all, Jay had six more children to worry about, three whom she suspected would be littles themselves, but they were not sixteen yet and still were under her responsibility.

 

Because Jay had experience with littles (she had several cousins and a sibling who were littles and was well aware of how strong the gene was on her side) she had Louis well prepared to go to the adoption center.

 

Niall’s parents had been devastated at their son being taken to the center, especially all the way to one in England rather than Ireland (many littles were sent to either England or America, as the two countries were the most equipt for them). Despite this, they had both done their duty in preparing Niall as best as they could. Harry called them at least once a month to tell them how their son was, and sent them plenty of pictures too.

 

“Yeah,” Liam sighed in agreement with the situation being a bit different. “Well, how are you and Nick getting along?”

 

“Pretty great,” Harry smiled, thinking of their date two days ago. They’d eaten at a delicious seafood joint while the boys were at play group, and then had gone to Nick’s house for some after lunch fun.

 

“Just out of curiosity Harry, when exactly are you planning on introducing Nick to the boys?”

 

“What?” Harry blinked, caught off guard as he blinked owlishly at his phone.

 

“It’s been almost three months, Harry. Isn’t that an indicator that you’re serious about him?”

 

Harry thought about it, he really did, and came to the answer that yes, he was pretty serious about Nick. But that was exactly the reason why he was taking things so slowly. Nick seemed like he would be good with the babies (he was a doctor for babies and children after all) but Harry still had to be sure.

 

He could sense that Nick understood as well; if Niall and Louis didn’t approve of Nick, then he would be out of the picture. It was simple, because to Harry, his boys were the world to him. They came first, always and forevermore.

 

Liam was right though, he couldn’t put it off much longer. When Nick texted asking if he could come over tomorrow night (Nick often dropped by when the babies were well asleep), Harry responded by inviting Nick to the house for dinner instead.

 

When tomorrow came, he certainly had himself worked up. A green bean casserole and two sirloins were in the oven. He was also heating up a pot of baked beans and mash. It was a simple meal that he knew both his babies and Nick would love. Louis wasn’t a fan of meat due to the chewy texture (a lot of babies were this way) but that was what the baked beans were for, so that he would still get his protein.

 

“We’re having a friend come over tonight,” Harry informed his boys as he dressed them. “A very special friend of Daddy’s.”

 

“Lee-Lee?” Niall questioned, staying still like a good boy as Harry buttoned his shirt.

 

“No, this is someone who you haven’t met yet,” Harry explained. “His name is Nick.”

 

“Like a puppy?” Louis asked.

 

“Um...no?” Harry said, confused as to why Louis would associate that name Nick with a canine. “He’s a grown up like Daddy, and he’s very nice.”

 

Harry kept the fact that Nick was a doctor out of the conversation. Niall was terrified of doctors and dentists, mostly due to his needle phobia. Harry would wait until Niall was comfortable with Nick before he would release this classified information. Who knows, maybe it would even cure Niall’s fear altogether.

 

Niall wore a red and navy plaid button down shirt with dark denim overalls, his thick hair combed nicely with his bangs swept to the side and out of his eyes. As for Louis, Harry dressed him in a simple polo green short sleeve shirt with matching blue plaid shorts. They both looked nice but not too overdressed.

 

“Is he good at playing?” Niall questioned.

 

“We’ll find out when he visits,” Harry said, keeping a firm grip on Louis’ wiggling foot while he tried to put socks on him. “I want you to both be on your best behavior. Can you do that for me?”

 

Niall nodded and Louis hummed in agreement. Despite this, Harry continued to worry over how the evening would go down.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Harry heard Nick pull into the driveway at five, and went to answer the door before Nick had a chance to knock or ring the doorbell.

 

“Hey Haz,” They hugged and then Nick kissed him politely on the cheek.

 

“Hey,” Harry smiled warmly, the fear in his stomach quickly dissipating. “The boys are in the playroom right now. I can get us something to drink, and then do you want to meet them?”

 

“You know I’ve been looking forward to this,” Nick said, stepping inside and following Harry down the hall.

 

Harry poured them both some iced tea.

 

“Wow, it smells great in here,” Nick said, taking note of the almost finished dinner.

 

“Thanks,” Harry blushed. “I hope you like it. I didn’t make anything too extravagant, because the babies can be picky...at least Lou can be.”

 

“Let’s go see them,” Nick said, setting his glass down. “It seems awfully quiet in here for a household with two babies.”

 

Harry grinned. “That’s because I asked them to behave. But trust me, they’ll probably get a little wild as time passes.”

 

He led Nick into the playroom by the hand. Harry winced at the mess that was displayed before them. The huge bucket of legos and Playmobil toys were dumped into a pile onto the floor, scattered all about. They seemed to be playing with the Playmobil pirate ship set, Niall holding the plastic boat steady while Louis stacked figures on it, both laughing.

 

“Niall, Louis, come here Loves,” Harry called to them. “Come meet Nick.”

 

Each baby silenced simultaneously as they regarded their Daddy and the new man standing beside him. Harry saw Louis’ gaze noticeably settle on he and Nick’s entwined hands. After a few more seconds of awkward silence, Nick was the one to break the tension.

 

“Hello boys,” He greeted them with a warm smile. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Your daddy has told me so much about you. He loves you both more than the whole wide world, did you know that?!”

 

The way Nick spoke seemed to help ease things over. One could definitely tell that he had interacted with littles plenty of times before.

 

Like magic, they started to warm up to him, gazes now curious rather than nervous as they sat on the floor and observed him.

 

“Daddy tells us that every day,” Louis agreed, Niall nodding alongside him a little shyly.

 

Nick let go of Harry’s hand and stepped forward. “What are you playing? Is that a pirate ship?”

 

“It’s a ghost ship,” Louis corrected him. Harry resisted an eyeroll at that, because games that involved ghosts almost always involved bad dreams.

 

“My, that sounds scary,” Nick said.

 

“N-No,” Niall finally spoke quietly, face flushed from bashfulness. “They’re nice ghosts.”

 

“That’s right, just like Casper the Friendly Ghost, yeah?” Harry praised, glad that his boys were having positive play, something that he much preferred. Baby boys had wild imaginations, so it was good to steer them toward positivity.

 

The oven beeped from the kitchen.

 

Nick noticed Harry’s panicked expression and smiled reassuringly. “You go take that out, and Louis and Niall can show me their ghost ship.”

 

While Nick got acquainted with the babies, Harry focused on setting the table and getting the food dished out. He cut a quarter of his own sirloin into tiny pieces for Niall, putting it into part of the baby’s three sectioned bowl, along with the homemade mash and green bean casserole. He did the same for Louis, but substituted the beans to replace the meat instead. He put the rest of the food on the actual table so that Nick could fill out his own plate himself.

 

Finally he returned to the living room, his heart fluttering in endearment when he saw Nick sitting on the floor listening intently while Niall and Louis introduced him to their various toys.

 

“Time for dinner!” Harry announced enthusiastically. This caught Niall’s attention, but Louis shook his head.  

 

“No dinner,” He said.

 

“Yes dinner,” Harry told him. “Don’t you want to show Nick what good boys you are?”

 

Nick rose from the ground. “Come on Loves, I’m starving. Does your daddy cook yummy food? Will I like it?”

 

Niall nodded. “It’s reeeally yummy. The bestest food ever!”

 

“You have to like it,” Louis told him seriously, chewing on his thumb. If it wasn’t time to eat, Harry would have indulged him with a pacifier. Instead, he took both of his babies’ hands, leading them into the kitchen with Nick.

 

Both the babies were strapped into their highchairs. Harry sighed in relief when they both started eating without a fuss.

 

“Harry, this is amazing!” Nick praised after his first bite. “It’s a meal fit for a king.”

 

“Thanks,” Harry blushed, a little embarrassed. It had been awhile since he’d cooked something like sirloin steak, so he was glad it had come out alright. Nick seemed genuine too, so he wasn’t lying.

 

“We’re kings?” Louis questioned in interest, ignoring his food and sucking down his bottle of apple juice.

 

Nick chuckled. “Oh yes, I certainly think so.”

 

“And kings eat their meals just like good boys do,” Harry told Louis, looking pointedly at his mostly untouched food.

 

Niall was having no trouble with his own food, happily cramming bits of meat and green beans into his mouth. The blonde baby had passed on using his utensils, fingers messy at he handled the food with them. Louis finally copied Niall, sticking a few fingers into his lump of potatoes and sucking at them.

“They usually have better table manners,” Harry told Nick quietly, though it was a lie.

 

“I think it’s endearing,” Nick replied. “Just think, it shows how much they appreciate your cooking.”

 

“Yeah Daddy, we pre’ate it!”

 

“Thank you Niall,” Harry smiled at the baby.

 

When dinner was over, Nick helped Harry clean the boys up. Once their faces were wiped and bibs unstrapped, they were freed from their high chairs. The four of them went into the den, and Harry suggested a board game.

 

Louis wanted to play _Operation_ , but Niall was scared of the buzzing noise that it made. Niall wanted to play _Don’t Break The Ice_ instead, and Louis loved his brother to much to put up a fight over it.

 

A game that involved ice naturally caused the babies to pick out the movie Ice Age to watch. Harry tucked both the babies in with the throw over blanket that usually stayed draped over the sofa. When the babies were immersed with the television, Harry and Nick moved into the kitchen.

 

“Harry, they’re precious, absolutely perfect babies.”

 

Harry was smiling big enough for his dimples to show. “You really think so?”

 

“Yes,” Nick kissed his lips. “I do. Harry, I really can’t express how honored I feel, to have been able to have you trust me enough to meet them. Thank you so much for bringing me into your personal life this way.”

 

“You were great with them,” Harry said. “I was worried. Niall gets nervous around strangers, and Louis can get a little jealous if he feels like sometime besides Niall or himself is taking up my attention. They seemed to really like you though.”

 

Nick left soon, when it was nearing the babies’ bedtimes. They’d had their baths earlier in the day before Nick had come over, so all Harry needed to do was get them into their pajamas and get their teeth brushed.

 

“Daddy, do you love Mr. Nicky?” Louis asked curiously as he was settled down into his crib.

 

Harry took a sharp intake of breath, caught off guard by the question.

 

“Nick has become a very good friend of mine,” Harry responded carefully. “He wants to be you and Niall’s friend too.”

 

Louis nodded to himself, jamming two fingers in his mouth thoughtfully. Harry gently removed them and gave Louis his pacifier.

 

“But you like him lots, right?” Niall spoke from his crib across the room, prompting the daddy to turn to him.

 

“Well….yes, I do like him a lot.” Harry admitted. “But not as much as I love you two. You have my promise on that.”

 

“Will he come here to play again?” Niall asked. “And eat?”

 

“I expect so sweetheart,” Harry replied, watching him carefully. “But only if you and Louis are alright with it. Did you like Nicky?”

 

“Mhm!” Louis hummed from behind his paci, and Niall said “I do!”

 

“Then it’s settled, you’ll see him again soon.”

 

After making sure the night light was on and the baby monitor was working, Harry left the babies and went back to his room. He checked his phone and found a message from Nick asking if he’d been met with the babies’ approval.

 

He texted back: _‘You’ve passed. Come over for a picnic on Saturday?’_

 

 

* * *

 

 

After the initial meeting between Nick and the babies, Harry had no more problems with allowing his boyfriend to slowly integrate himself into their daily lives. No longer did Nick have to sneak into the house late at night and be out before morning. All four of them could interact, though the non-pg rated activities were always saved for night.

 

Nick was good with the boys, he really was. Now, as Harry sat on metal bleachers curled up under his official boyfriend’s arm, he realized that choosing to date this man was the right choice.

 

They were at a footie match, for littles of course. Neither caregiver had an interest in professional sports, but it was a whole different thing with littles. They each cheered whenever Louis or Niall got a hold of the ball.

 

Both littles were having a grand time with the sport. Louis had scored two goals, and Niall had scored one but had got ahold of the ball many times. Harry and Nick clapped through it all, no matter who got the ball. The other caretakers in the stands did as well; afterall, this was a game for Littles, so it was only for fun.

 

Louis’ emergency inhaler was tucked safely inside the diaper bag, and Harry was keeping a critical eye on the baby, searching for any signs of wheezing or coughing. The match was only forty five minutes and Louis had been given several bench breaks by the coach (as per Harry’s request) but he was still worried.

 

“He’ll be fine,” Nick whispered knowingly, rubbing Harry’s shoulder. “It’s almost over anyway, and then he can rest. Today was a good day to hold a game too, weather wise.”

 

Just as Nick had predicted, the game soon came to an end. Both teams of littles lined up to give each other high fives as the caretakers left the stands to meet their babies. Niall was the first one to run over, Louis trailing slightly more slower behind him.

 

Niall jumped into Harry’s arms. “Daddy, Nicky! Did you see me kick the ball?”

 

“We did Darling, you were so good!” Harry praised.

 

Nick ruffled his hair. “I took a video of it on my phone Love, I’ll show it to you later!”

 

Louis was there next, beaming as brightly as the sun despite his red cheeks and tight breathing. “I kicked the ball so hard, Daddy! Nicky, did you see it go into the net? That means I got a point!”

 

“You both got some points, didn’t you?” Nick scooped Louis into his arms, and the four of them headed toward the car. “Such talented boys you are.”

 

“And talented boys deserve a treat,” Harry said. “How does pizza for dinner tonight sound?”

 

Niall looked ecstatic. “With ‘roni?”

 

“Of course,” Harry agreed, setting Niall down as he unlocked the car.

 

When Louis was strapped in his carseat, Nick took out the inhaler (with a spacer connected) from the diaper bag. “Open up Lou, let’s make the ickiness go all bye-bye from your lungs. They worked so hard playing footie, so now we can reward them!”

 

Harry was absolutely beaming as Louis obediently took his medicine. He’d still need the nebulizer before bed, but this would help his breathing relax and allow the baby to enjoy his pizza.

 

Nick was so good with the babies. In that moment, Harry had the sudden desire to call his mother and thank her profusely for finding Nick for him.

 

He imagined the possibility of Nick moving in someday, permanently. They would sleep together, and Harry would have someone to cuddle in bed. He would also have someone to make him feel good. Nick was amazing in bed. He’d trail kisses starting from Harry’s chest to his waistline, murmuring, “You do so much for you babies, for everyone. Now it’s time for me to take care of _you_.”

 

And Nick would take care of him, he always did. They would make love together on the nights that Nick stayed. Afterwards they would sleep closely together, and in the morning usually have time to take a nice hot shower together before the babies awoke.

 

If Louis had a coughing fit in the middle of the night, Nick would go with Harry to make sure he was alright, rubbing the baby’s back and smoothing his hair. If Niall was frightened by ‘scary noises’ before bedtime, Nick would assist Harry in checking the closet, under the cribs, dresser, and changing table.

 

Speaking of changing, Nick even helped with that. Harry had once been mortified when Niall had a bad reaction to a new curry he’d made, as the baby had been sitting on Nick’s lap at the time. He’d been squirmy and fussy, and Harry had scolded Niall until his diaper left a horrific leaky mess all over Nick’s trousers.

 

The caregiver had taken it in stride, helping Harry clean the blonde baby up before casually throwing out his trousers and borrowing a pair of Harry’s sweats. Harry of course had kept apologizing until Nick took him by the arms and said, “Honestly Love, I get puked, peed, and pooped on all the time at the clinic, not to mention getting hit, and even bitten on occasion. Niall isn’t the only little afraid of the doctor’s office, you know.”

 

Nick was good with the babies. He liked the babies, and he understood how much they meant to Harry. He even bought them toys and clothes, and he didn’t mind how Harry sometimes preferred to dress them. In fact, he helped out with it. Just a week ago Nick had bought a gorgeous metallic flutter sleeve dress for Louis, and a purple velvet dress that came with a headband for Niall.

 

“Alright, now where are we going?” Nick asked once he was behind the wheel. “Dominos or Pizza Hut?”

 

“Domino's has that special deal, remember?” Harry said. “Two medium cheese or pepperoni pizzas for the price of one.”

 

“Perfect, you call in the order. We can pick it up on the way to your place.”

 

Harry gently shushed the two babies in the back, who were singing rather loudly to the car music playing (A Sing Along Little’s cd). Nick turned the music down and gave Harry an apologetic smile as he pulled out of the parking lot.

 

“Nicky, why do you only give Daddy face kissies?” Niall asked out of the blue, catching both of the caregiver’s off guard.

 

“Well, I’ve never thought about it. I suppose I just like your daddy’s face.”

 

Niall frowned. “But what about tummy kissies, or toe ones?”

 

“Yeah, Daddy always gives us those. You do too, Nicky,” Louis pointed out. “What’s wrong with Daddy’s tummy?”

 

Nick and Harry were both stifling laughter at the seriousness of the littles. “Your Daddy has a very lovely tummy too, trust me. However, tummy and toe kisses are a special thing for babies.”

 

“Oooh,” Niall said, both babies looking more understanding.

 

Ten minutes later, they were home and the babies were in their high chairs with their yummy dinner. Harry always cut up his babies’ pizza into tiny squares, so he did so quickly while Nick filled their bottles with cold sweet milk.

 

After lighthearted conversation and two slices of pizza, Nick stood and brought his dishes to the sink. “I’ve got an early morning tomorrow, I should probably get home.”

 

Harry felt disappointment bubble in his stomach. “You could stay the night. I mean, the babies have play group early tomorrow, so I could be awake to fix you a nice breakfast.”

“Thanks for the offer Haz, but I know how hard it can be getting those two ready. I have some paperwork at home I need to finish by tomorrow as well. I’ve got a med student going to intern under my wing.”

 

“Okay,” Harry kissed him.

 

“I can spend tomorrow night though,” Nick assured him. “I was thinking we could take the boys to see that new movie, you know, the one with the talking hippo?”

 

Harry was all smiles again. “That’s a great idea, they’ll love it!”

 

“Perfect then. I get out at four, I’ll come here straight after.”

 

“You be good babies, yes? Louis, will you be good when it’s time for Lilly to come out?”

 

‘Lilly’ was Louis’ nebulizer. Harry had taken Nick’s advice from their very first date, about allowing Louis to name his medicine and make it more fun. ‘Lilly’ had googly eyes and curly purple hair made from pipe cleaners.

 

“I’ll be good Nicky,” Louis promised.

 

“Me too!” Niall said. “Will you come back soon Nicky, please?”

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow loves. Will you do me a big favor and take care of your Daddy for me?”

 

Harry snorted, but his heart melted again at how serious his boys took Nick’s request, nodding solemnly. Nick kissed them each on the head, gave Harry one more on the lips, and left the house quietly.

 

* * *

 

 

Later that night, when the babies were asleep, Harry made a phone call.

 

“Hello Darling! You’re calling a bit late, is everything okay?”

 

“Everything’s fine Mum,” Harry said. “I just got the babies to bed later than usual. Nick went along with me to watch their footie game, and then we had a bit of a pizza party for dinner.”

 

“Oh how lovely! Did you get the match on film?”

 

“Nick did,” Harry told her. “They each ended up scoring. I’m so glad they’re signed up for the outdoor play group, it’s done wonders.”

 

“It’s good for them to socialize with other littles too,” Anne pointed out. “You’ll have to tell Nick to send me the video. It sounds like you all had a wonderful day.”

 

“We really did,” Harry said, clearing his throat. “Hey Mum, can I just say something? I’m really glad that you found Nick. He’s...yeah. I’ve been really happy, and so have the babies.”

 

“That’s all I ever wanted for you Harry,” She told him, sounding choked up over the phone. “I feel so far away, and even if you’re an amazing caregiver, I still wanted you to have somebody else, to love you and help with the babies. You deserve it.”

 

“Thanks Mum,” Harry told her earnestly. “Will you come visit soon?”

 

“Of course I will,” She said. “I’ve already got so many toys for the babies due to impulse shopping. Oh, and Niall’s birthday is coming up, I’ll take the whole weekend off for that. I know Gemma wants to visit soon too.”

 

“Niall and Louis miss you both, they’ll be so excited.”

 

It was true, the babies loved seeing their Nanna and Auntie Gems more than anything. That probably had to do with the fact that Harry’s family spoiled them silly. While babies usually cut ties with their biological families after being adopted, they gained new family from their caregiver’s side. Harry’s family was pretty obsessed with his babies, in a good way of course.

 

“I love you Mum,” Harry said “Thank you. Just- Thank you for everything.”

 

  
“Oh Harry, I’m just glad you’re happy, really.”

 

And Harry really was happy. 

* * *

Check out some Day by Day, Night by Night facts/snippets [here](https://bashfulbabybottlepop.tumblr.com/post/158608758133/day-by-day-night-by-night-fact-list-3) if you enjoy the series! 

**Author's Note:**

> Did you guys like it? :) Lemme know please and thank you!
> 
> Come say hi or ask a question at bashfulbabybottlepop.tumblr.com
> 
> :)


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